boutique

noun

bou·​tique bü-ˈtēk 

often attributive

1

a

: a small shop dealing in fashionable clothing or accessories

b

: a small shop within a large department store

2

: a small company that offers highly specialized services or products

boutique wineries

an independent investment boutique

boutiquey

bü-ˈtē-kē 

adjective

Did you know?

Apothecaries, Bodegas, and Boutiques

Apothecary, bodega, and boutique may not look very similar, but they are all related both in meaning and in origin. Each of these words can be traced back to a Latin word for “storehouse” (apotheca), and each one refers in English to a retail establishment of some sort. Although bodega initially meant “a storehouse for wine,” it now most commonly refers to a grocery store in an urban area, especially one that specializes in Hispanic groceries. Boutique has also taken on new meanings: its first sense in English (“a small retail store”) is still current, but it now may also denote “a small company that offers highly specialized products or services.” Of the three words, apothecary has changed the least; it has gone from referring solely to the person who sells drugs or medicines to also naming the store where such goods are sold.

Examples of boutique in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Middle Eastern country is already home to almost every leading luxury hotel chain with new ones on the way from global giants such as St. Regis and Ritz-Carlton, as well as boutique brands like Nobu, Six Senses and even one themed to crystal manufacturer Baccarat. —Caroline Reid, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Aimone designed the boutique himself and tapped Italian architects and craftspeople to help realize it. —Samantha Conti, WWD, 5 Nov. 2024

At the other end of the valley, the Naramata Inn is a small luxury boutique hotel known for its in-house restaurant’s dinner service. —Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 3 Nov. 2024

Parma’s centro storico (historic center) is full of narrow streets lined with boutiques, restaurants, and bars. —Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 3 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French, shop, probably from Old Occitan botica, ultimately from Greek apothēkē storehouse — more at apothecary

First Known Use

1767, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

boutique

noun

bou·​tique bü-ˈtēk 

: a small fashionable store

Etymology

from French boutique "shop"

Legal Definition

boutique

noun

bou·​tique bü-ˈtēk 

: a small company that offers highly specialized services or products

specifically : a small law firm that offers services in one or a small number of legal areas